Improved vane for wind-wheels



f 1 PATENT JESSE` M; CLOCK; or' Arnnnfrrcvrttn, NEW Yoan.

IM'PRovED .VANE .Fo Rfwl Nrw-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of .Letters Patent No. 18,440, dated October20, 1857.

erence being had to theV annexed drawings,l

making a part of this specification, in which- Figure `l is a vertical central section of my improvement,'the plane of section bisectingf the shaft or axis of the wheel longitudinally. y Fig. 2 is a planlor top view of the same'.1 Fig.

3 is a face view of a segment or portion ofthe wheel.

Similarletters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the severaliigures.

The invention consists in an'improved' construction of the vane, whereby thewheel isr quickly adjusted` tofface .thekwind during.4

sudden "changes of the sanne,` and'the tend'- en'cy of` the wheel to be defiected `or turned from its proper position relatively with' the direction of the wind, inconsequence `of the resistance offered to 'the revolutions of the wheel by the'application of machinery thereto effectually prevented.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describeit.

represents a horizontal frame, which is placed' on the upper end of an upright B, and so arranged that it may turn or rotate freely thereon, friction-rollers a being .interposed between the frame and upright and arranged in any proper way to facilitate the turning of the frame. (See Fig. l.)

C represents a horizontal tubular shaft, which is fitted in the frame A, in properbearing Z) in which the shaft `is allowed to rotate freely. To the outer end of the shaft C a hub or boss c is attached, said hub or boss having radial arms (Z secured to it, any proper number of arms being used, according to the intended size of the wheel. To the inner arms CZ, at their junction with the hub or boss c, bars e are attached, one to each arm. These bars converge slightly toward each other from their inner to their outer ends, and their outer ends are secured to a circular plate f. Metal rods g, which serve as braces, are attached to the periphery of the platek f and to the arms CZ near their outer ends. The arms CZ are connected at their back sides by metal rods 71, which serve to brace and stiifen the arms.

D represents a rod, which is of metal, and is fitted within the .hollow or tubular shaft C'and projects beyond it at both ends. The outery end of 4the rod D has a head L' attached it, and to this head the inner ends of bentleversj are attached by links k, as shown clearly in Fig. l. The levers lj work on rods Z, placed between the bars e, andthe ends of the upper arms of the' levers j are pivoted to the lower ends of rods m. The outer ends of the rods m are pivoted to projecting arms n, which are'attached to bars 0, which are fitted. between the arms CZ, so as to form a polygonal figure concentric with the hub or boss c. This will be understood by referring to Fig. 3. The bars o are allowed to turn freelyfbetween thearms, and two wings or sails p p are attached to each bar. These wings or sails vmay be constructed of, wood or metal, and they are secured obliquely or angularly tothe bars, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, so that the wind may act upon them to rotate-or propel the wheel, a sufficient space being allowed between the wings or sails to allow the wind to pass through. The outer ends of each pair of Wings or sails p p are connected to a bar q, which serves as a brace and support. The arms n ofthe bars o have the inner ends of rods i pivoted to them. The outer ends-of these rods are pivoted to arms s, which project from bars t, fitted between th'eupper parts of the arms CZ. The bars t are allowed to turn freely between'the arms CZ and are arranged precisely similar to the bars o and are placed concentrically around them. (See Fig. 3.) To the bars t wings or sails u are attached. These wings or sails are constructed precisely similar to the wings or sails p and have the same oblique position relatively with their bars t as the sails p have with the bars 0. The upper ends of the wings or sails u at their back sides are attached to bars n, which serve as braces or supports.

The inner end of the rod D is fitted within a box w, which is connected by a link with the upper end of a bent lever y, which lever is attached to a shaft e, fitted in the back end of frame A. To the lower end of the lever yy e Y p .155,440

a weight E is attached. On the shaft C a toothed wheel F is placed, said wheel gearing into a pinion G on a vertical shaft l-i, -from which the power may be taken.

To the back end of the frame A a vane I is attached. This vane is formed of two pieces or parts a h. The part 0, is in lineor in the same plane with the shaft C and rod D, and is formed of a board or metal plate ot sufli cient area to keep under ordinarycircumstances the face of the wheel to the wind. The other part b of the vane is hinged to the part c ,as shown at c, and a spring d,which is litted in a bar e at the back end of the f rame A, bears against a projecting plate f on the part b of the vane. The spring` d has a tendency to keep the part b againsty cleat-s g', which are secured to the side of the part c', said cleats having their outer sides so beveled as to cause the part h to havean oblique.

or angular position relatively with the part d', as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

In the back part of the frame A a shaft J is placed, to which a cord h is attached. This cord is attached to the lower end of the lever y. On the shaft J a pulleyr t" is placed, said y pulley having a cord j attached to its periphery, a weight 7c being attached to the end ot' the cord. (See Fig. l.)

The operation is as follows: The wind acts against; the sails or wings p u with a greater or less force or pressure, according to its velocity, and if the force ot' the wind is sufficient to overcome the weight 'E the sails or wings will be thrown back, the bars o t being their axis, as indicated in red, Fig. l, the weight E being` raised through the medium of the rod D, lever j, and rods m r. lVhen the sails or wings are thrown back, they of course present a less area or surface to the wind, and as the vsaid wings or sails are thrown back by itsincreased force or velocity it follows as a n1atter of course that the wind-wheel will be selfregulating and the weight E the exponent of its power, the velocityof the wheel heilig regular or rotating,r with equal speed, however variable the velocity of the wind may be.

In vertical wind-wheels the wheels have a tendency to move out of a proper relative position with the Wind, owing' to the resistance oiered to its rotation by the gearing or machinery applied to it. For instance, by referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the wheel rotates in the direction indicated by arrow l, and the wheel in the etort to turn shaft H has a tendency, together with the frame, to turn hodily in the direction indicated by arrow 2. This tendency of the wheel is obviated by the part b of the vane I, which part, owing to its oblique position, has a tendency te turn the wheel in the direction indicated by arrow 3;

Consequently one force is neutralized by the other, and the wheel is retained in a proper relative position with the direction ot the wind.

The wind frequently shifts suddenly and is very fluctuating, and at such times vertical wind-wheels cannot:- operate well, as the vanes are not sufficiently sensitive. In my improve ment if the wind shifts suddenly and strikes the back side of the wind-wheel the wheel, instead of remaining stationary, like the usual wheels, will be immediately thrown around in consequenceot the windacting upon and throwing open the parto of the vane, as shown in red, Fig'. 2, so that said part will act as a lever and allow the wind to throw the wheel and frame around in proper position and in thev direction indicated by arrow et.

l would remark that the cord j is merely a stop-cord for turning the wings or sails in a horizontal position, the Weight k being sustained or held up by a hook or any device when the wheel is in operation.

I do not claim, broadly, the application of a weight to the wings or sails of a Windwheel for the purpose of rendering them self-regulating, for this has been done in various ways. Neither do I claim the sails arranged and applied to the wheel, as shown; but,

Having thus described lnyinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The vane I, formed of two parts a b', the part b having an oblique position relatively with the part c', and either hinged to said part a or attached permanently to it, for the purpose specified.

JESSE M. CLOCK.

Witnesses:

ELBERT VERITY, ROBERT SMITH. 

